Reflection on the Maslow Learning Model
Many of us are aware of the four-stage Maslow Learning Model, where a person moves from "unconscious incompetence" to "unconscious competence" through the Conscious Competence Model.
Lately, I’ve been trying to align my life learnings to this model, and there’s quite a bit of it, such as:
- Learning subjects,
- Riding a cycle or bike,
- Driving a car,
- Eating with a fork or chopstick, and the list goes on.
A common attribute in all such learnings was the presence of a "need and will" to learn. In all these cases:
- I decided what I wanted to learn.
- I made a conscious effort to learn.
- Eventually, it became second nature.
Unconscious learning
However, there are things I didn’t consciously learn, yet they have become my second nature. For example:
- Shouting during arguments,
- Procrastinating tasks,
- Becoming selfish and thinking about "what's in it for me,"
- Trusting people,
- Being calm,
- Having a desire to win, and so on.
On further questioning, I’m beginning to realize that how I perform is more dependent on things I learned unconsciously than those I learned consciously.
A deeper dive
Looking at how I learned these behaviors, they don’t seem to follow the model of conscious learning.
- I don’t recall being aware of learning them.
- I didn’t make extra efforts to learn them.
Unconscious learning seems to have the following characteristics:
- Significant to life
- Larger impact on day-to-day activities
- Long-lasting and difficult to let go
- Complex in nature
The question
This brings me to a fundamental question:
"If I did not learn all of these through the conscious learning model, then is there a model of subconscious learning?"
I am questioning the assumption that, in order to learn something, one must become conscious.
Is there another model?
- Is there a model where a person can move from "unconscious incompetence" to "unconscious competence" without bringing consciousness/awareness into the picture?
- Can efforts also be made unconsciously?
Looking forward to your thoughts
P.S.: Subconscious and unconscious words are used interchangeably.
